Review of Mr. Nice (2010) by Stuart K — 07 Feb 2013

Based upon the autobiography published in 1997 by Howard Marks, adapted and directed by Bernard Rose (Chicago Joe and the Showgirl (1990), Candyman (1992) and Immortal Beloved (1994)), who also photographed and edited the film.

This is an entertaining biopic of Marks, a mysterious and charismatic Welshman, who isn't a bad man, It's a good film, which a likeable lead performance, but it does have inconsistencies. Howard Marks (Rhys Ifans) studied at Oxford in the 1960's, and studied to become a teacher, but he's been introduced to marijuana by fellow Oxford student Graham Plinson (Jack Huston), from there, Howard ends up trafficking drugs between the UK and Germany, but this small empire grows into a bigger one, and he's smuggling drugs into America from Afghanistan via Spain, at first in the touring equipment of big bands.

Howard gets married to Judy (Chloë Sevigny), and his contacts include IRA runner Jim McCann (David Thewlis) and American Ernie Combs (Crispin Glover), but the law want him, but he manages to get away with it, but for how long?? It's an entertaining film, and Ifans makes Marks into a likeable rogue, even if what he's done is highly illegal.

It tries to be a UK version of American Gangster, but there's a lot of gaps in the story, and how he was able to move around, but it's still worth a look.